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Bowen's Daily Meditations
Devotional: February 17th

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" Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy." - Revelation 3:4.

" Even in Sardis." How full of reproach this little word " even." The wonder was that any good should live in such a sea of iniquity as that. Even in Sardis! It will be well for us to act as though our residence were in Sardis; as though there were the greatest possible danger of our soiling our robes. The robes that are polluted are robes that were given spotless. You cannot pollute that which is intrinsically vile. The garments which so many Sardians had defiled, were such as they had in connection with their Christian profession. When a man receives the truth, and embraces Christ, and identifies himself with the people of God, he is, in the eyes of rejoicing angels above and saints below, clothed with a new nature. His old nature is laid off as a garment; and his faith in Christ is a pledge to us that he will live under the influences of new principles, with new aims, habits, feelings.

" A few that have not defiled their robes." They have been distinguished by great reverence for the Master’s words. They have diligently sought to know and do his whole will. They have mistrusted their own hearts. Have rightly estimated the power of the enemy. Have been unceasing in prayer. Have sought diligently to grow in grace. Sometimes, they have for gotten to watch, and have committed some trespass. Then Satan sought to take away their confidence, and rear the image of the sin formidably between them and God. Doubts and fears beset them; they began to question if they ever could be proof against temptation. Their garments were almost defiled. But no, the grace of God came to their rescue. Others were betrayed into wrong-doing, and then were assured by Christian friends that that was not wrong-doing; there was great danger that they would take up this lower view of what Christ demanded; great danger that their robes should be defiled; but the gracious Spirit enabled them to cling to their best convictions, their truer standard, and they were safe. There came once a period of coldness; cares of the world, pursuit of wealth, alliances with irreligious persons; these choked the word; this thing went on too long; their garments threatened to become defiled; but they happily awoke to a sense of their perilous state, and with great earnestness, they turned again to the animating beams of the Sun of Righteousness.

They who thus maintain their garments unspotted from the world, shall walk with Christ in white. Their white garments shall become in whiteness and lustre such as no fuller on earth could produce. They will walk in the very lustre of Christ; his glory shall be upon them; they shall be made like unto him.

" For they are worthy." They have identified themselves with the only true worth, even Christ. So long as we wrap ourselves in our own native worth, though it should be some thing resplendent in the eyes of all our fellows, we are not worthy to walk with Christ in white. Young and noble aspirant after an admirable and worth-revealing life, know that if your utmost dreams should come true, and earth’s most distinguished chaplet of worth should become yours, yet would not that constitute you worthy of companionship with Christ on high. Observe, the glorified ones all unite in the song of testimony, " Thou alone art worthy to receive glory, and honor, and power and blessing." They renounce the worth of which they once dreamed, and lose themselves in the contemplation of the infinite and all-absorbing worth of the Redeemer-God. And all his worth becomes theirs. All things become theirs; for his heart is theirs.

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